Day: 2 April 2010

Manchester

Oldham Street was created in 1772 and named after Adam Oldham, a parish constable, a wealthy businessman, and a member of the Birchin Lane Chapel, the predecessor of the Methodist confession within the Church of England.

Oldham St runs from Piccadilly Gardens towards Oldham Road, and is a notable amalgamation of different shops, cafes, and facades. The street is packed with notable doors: The Big Issue North, Frog and Bucket and Abakhan Fabrics close to Oldham Rd; The City pub, The Castle hotel, and Mint Lounge; Mojo, Night and Day Cafe, Julia hair extensions shops, Magma bookstore, Thunderegg and Vinyl Exchange, a costume hire shop, Nicky Oliver salon in the middle of the street; and Methodist Central Hall, Oxfam, Cash Generator, and Nobles Amusement close to Piccadilly Gardens.

Oldham St is one-way and is fairly wide, and this makes it particularly attractive in the evening or on a bank holiday when it’s no longer busy.

Manchester – Transportation – Public Transport – Stations

There was the time when Victoria station was one of the most important in Manchester – along with the Great Northern Railway in Deansgate. It was opened in 1844 and named Victoria after Her Majesty’s permission. The Great Northern now houses an entertainment complex, and Victoria’s wacky glamour consists of the “remains of the day”: an impressive (if somewhat obscure) war memorial, ticket offices, the Victoria Good Life shop (which seems to be shut), a cafe and a bar under the roof of the former bookstall, and tiled and rather dim interior. The elaborate green canopy lists the names of popular 19th c. destinations, including Blackpool, London, and Belgium.

The station reminds me of Blackpool, sadly: the memories of the bygone days haunt the room of disrepair and decline. This especially comes to the fore when a certain art teacher brings the kids here for an open lesson in drawing…

There are 6 platforms in the station, and these days Victoria is connected with the MEN Arena: you can get to the Arena either from within the station, by following the stairs, or from the street. Like Piccadilly, Victoria is a stop on the metrolink route, no. 2 bus goes past it towards Shudehill or Deansgate, and the station is served by a small taxi rank. There are only two traffic lines, so on certain days or at certain hours the Station Approach gets extremely busy.

Manchester – Transportation – Public Transport – Stations

I love travelling by train. I cannot say exactly what I find so fascinatingly attractive about trains or watching the fields and hills flying past my window, but here goes: I love travelling by train.

Because of this, Piccadilly Train Station has constituted an important part of my life since 2004. I travelled to London, Wales, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, and many other places in the North of England, departing from, and arriving to, Piccadilly. It is delightfully easy to navigate: the usual WHSmith and Boots lie to the right of the entrance, followed by Monsoon, Threshers, and Sainsbury’s. Tie Rack welcomes you immediately as you enter the station. And on the left there are Superdrug, a bar, and a Burger King. Go to the top floor, and there will be Marks&Spencer, Caffe Ritazza, and another couple of bars. Caffe Ritazza is an ideal place to spend time waiting for a train: there is something pleasant about overlooking the station concourse where people bustle to catch their trains.

There are 12 platforms on the ground level under the roof, and two more on the open platform, accessible by lift from Fairfield St. Facilities abound, as well as rather helpful staff and reliable ticket machines. On the underground level is the entrance to metrolink, a taxi rank in Fairfield St, and no.1 and no.3 bus stops by the main entrance.

Over the years Piccadilly has served a few times as a place to organise exhibitions and to stage performances. 2009 has seen a collaboration of the train station and the Royal Northern College of Music on a successful mass event: a one-hour long modern opera, The End of the Line (A Brief Encounter). Singers and the orchestra took places between spectators, delivering an exciting performance on the subject of love, chance encounters, and meaningful relationships. In short, if you always thought that a train station is just it, Piccadilly will surely prove you wrong.

This is one of very peculiar streets in Northern Quarter. A mile-long Tib Street runs from the junction of Oldham Road and Swan Street down to Market Street, where it is flanked by Debenhams and Starbucks.

Affectionately known as “cats and dogs street”, Tib Sr used to house a good number of pet shops. Sadly, the last pet shop was forced to close in 2002. Since then “pet” acquired a more intimate meaning, in the proper sense of the word: the number of adult shops in the street and on its corners is, well, astounding. It is still possible, I suppose, to call it “cats and dogs street” or “pet paradise”, but with entirely differently meaning attached…

Of course, there is more to Tib St than shop windows with X-rated videos and sexual paraphernalia. My main destination in Tib St between 2005 and 2006 was CSV Media Clubhouse, at the top of the street, close to Hydroponics shop on the corner. CSV Media Clubhouse provides training and courses for those who want to acquire various skills in Broadcast Media, from radio to TV and filming. Opposite the door there is a peculiar graffiti wall, commemorating Tib St as it was, with lots of pet shops.

Other notable doors in Tib St include: Olivier Morosini hairdressing salon; Thornley Groves estate agency; Rags to Bitches famous vintage shop; Matt & Phred’s jazz club; The Northern pub; the Army Shop; Centro bar; Simple bar; Hedonist hair salon; and Sacha’s Hotel. Affleck’s Palace occupies the corner of Church St and Tib St. Abakhan Fabrics, the Mancunian Mecca for all things sewing and knitting, is planted on the corner of Warwick St and Tib St, opposite The City pub. Warwick St also connects Tih St and Oldham St.

And one more unique feature about Tib St. As you walk up and down, you will notice pavement blocks with lines tiled on them. Take a moment to read them: they are the lines by the renowned Lemn Sissay, a poet who marked Manchester by his talent before jetting off to London (due to family, not for fame, as he insists). He was a guest at 2009 Manchester International Festival, and there are several places in the city where you can read his poems, but Tib St must be the most daring one. The poem is called Flags.

Check out my review of Tib Street – I am juliedelvaux – on Qype